From Nov 17 to 26, Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) embraces the unpredictable. Organised by Arts House Limited and commissioned by the National Arts Council, get ready for unconventional programming spanning a Hip Hop 50th anniversary series, combat sports, punk rock and walking tours.
Think mould-breaking and genre-bending programmes for all audiences, both familiar and new. The festival theme of “Plot Twist” unpacks familiar genres and themes through new and unconventional lenses, and traces unlikely connections between topics and disciplines.
Festivalgoers can choose from an eclectic array of close to 200 in-person programmes featuring about 250 local and international presenters.
Key literary pillars remain such as the Literary Pioneer series, Southeast Asian Focus, Youth Fringe and SWF Playground. This edition also shines a special spotlight on Asian-American authors.
But this year’s line-up goes beyond the expected genres at a literary festival. Key highlights include 50 Years of Bars, Flows and Beats, a special line-up of programmes in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of hip hop. They will feature music critics, rappers, musicians, and cultural historians in programmes ranging from conversations to performances that celebrate the iconic genre and culture while illuminating how hip hop and literature are intimately intertwined.
Turn up the heat and bust the rhymes with We Never Thought Hip Hop Would Bring It This Far, an SWF one-time exclusive where five writers spit surefire reads and vibe with a live DJ on decks in response to their favourite hip hop song from each decade. Spend an evening with iconic hip hop historian Jeff Chang under the Festival’s In A Tiny Room series, or meet Singapore’s very own herbaceous hip hop sensation at Fresh Raps: Create Your Own Hip-Hop Alter Ego with BGourd.
Mapping unlikely connections within and beyond Singapore are the festival headliners and international speakers. They include literary theorist and feminist critic Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak; Vietnamese-American professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Viet Thanh Nguyen; British author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay, who was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics; and American writer and comic book illustrator John Patrick Green, who is best known for his graphic novel series InvestiGators.
Festival favourite programmes have been given a refreshing revamp in both format and content. This year’s Literary Pioneer Exhibition spotlights the late Goh Poh Seng, a poet, dramatist, novelist and a visionary ahead of his time, and focuses on his rebel spirit. Titled Tell Bowie He’s Only A Rock Star. I, However, Am A Poet, the Literary Pioneer Exhibition kicks off ahead of the Festival opening for the first time from Sep 26 to Dec 27 at various locations.
Energising the literary arts scenes are Chinese, Malay and Tamil programmes, as well as the presence of other international authors such as Lat, Fabian Fom and K Balamurugan from Malaysia.
SWF has also revived the Open Call for programme submissions and will present 40 shortlisted community-led initiatives. Highlights include Bubble Bubble, Toil and Battle: A Powerpoint Karaoke where presenters face each other in a battle of wits and charm their way through a presentation they have never seen; a panel discussion Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Writing the Combat Sports Narrative, featuring athletes Royston Wee (Singapore’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter), Amanda Chan, (WBC Asia Featherweight Champion), and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Jed Foo.
There are family-friendly programmes, too. Helping to nurture a new generation of literary arts lovers are a range of educational and family-friendly programmes under SWF Playground, and SWF Youth Fringe. Visit here for more details.
Singapore Writers Festival 2023 takes place from Nov 17 to 26. Enjoy 20 percent early bird savings from now till Oct 25. Festival Passes can be purchased on www.singaporewritersfestival.com.
